CALL FOR PAPERS

“Medieval Magic, Myths, and Legends in Film and Television”

An area of multiple panels for the Film & History Conference on “Film and Myth”

September 26-30, 2012
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
www.filmandhistory.org
Deadline: June 1, 2012

The Middle Ages have inspired some of the most enduring myths and legends of Western culture. Whether painted, on screen, in the bright colors of Camelot and The Adventures of Robin Hood or the drab grays and browns of Robin and Marian and Monty Python and the Holy Grail, they represent a world in which right and wrong, love and honor, heroism and villainy were clearly defined. Tales of larger-than-life medieval characters – whether adapted from original sources, or set in a wholly imagined middle ages – have been staples of film and television for generations. These medieval-themed narratives, featuring historical figures like Joan of Arc, beloved folk heroes such as Robin Hood, and worlds where dragons and other mythical beasts roam the Earth, have retold and adapted familiar stories of adventure, conquest, magic, and romance, while adding new ones to the ancient tradition.

This area, comprising multiple panels, will treat all aspects of the myth and legend in films and television programs. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

* Arthurian Legends and Myths
* Legendary Heroes Fictional and Factual (Robin Hood, Beowulf, Sigfried, William Wallace, Alexander Nevsky, El Cid, etc.)
* Legendary Saints and Sinners (Joan of Arc, St. Francis, Hildegard of Bingen, Pope Joan, Abelard and Heloise, etc.)
* Norse Gods and Heroes (The Vikings, The Long Ships, Thor)
* Dragons and Other Members of the Medieval Bestiary (Dragonslayer, Gargoyles, How to Train Your Dragon)
* The Imagined Middle Ages (Tolkein, Monty Python, Ladyhawke, The Name of the Rose, The Princess Bride, The Seventh Seal)

Proposals for complete panels (three related presentations) are also welcome, but they must include an abstract and contact information, including an e-mail address, for each presenter. Please e-mail your 200-word proposal by June 1, 2012:

L. Larson, Area Chair, 2012 Film & History Conference
“Medieval Magic, Myth, and Legend in Film and Television”
Our Lady of the Lake University
Email: llarson@ollusa.edu